OUR STORY

maoMeno existed long before it was given a name -a place where peace, art and inner journeys invite an expansive appreciation of life. Situated on the tiny island of Gilli Meno, maoMeno pulses with the calm heartbeat of the ocean. maoMeno is an invitation to ground, unfold and embark on your own journey of discovery, both without and within. 

      

 

maoMeno arose as a love affair when our founder Kike was traveling the planet in 2009. Struck by the simple beauty of island life -sunrises over Mt. Rinjani and sunsets over Mt Agung book-ending explorations of the stunning underwater life and the magical expanse of the star-filled night sky -Kike decided to stay. 

 

Setting up camp on a 3 x 2 platform, with no electricity and just a few cows for neighbors, Kike dropped into a life of complete simplicity. Immersed in the natural world, with few distractions, the vision for maoMeno as a space for people to relax, create and familiarize with their inner landscape, began to unfurl. 

 

maoMeno is a game of words derived from the Spanish expression 'mas o menos' (more or less) which in the south of Spain is pronounced 'maomeno.' This play intends to tease the perfectionist ego with which we are conditioned, whilst encouraging an acceptance and participation in the transience and imperfection of life. 

 

The individual habitations of maoMeno embody a variety of traditional Indonesian building styles while the Yoga Shala stands in Zen-like simplicity with solid timbers and a wide-planked floor. The habitations, shala and kitchen radiate out from Kike's original sleeping platform which is now a favorite breakfast spot for Yogis and our resident kittens. 

 

maoMeno's logo is composed of 3 hexagrams from the ancient divination oracle of  I-Ching: the left character represents the feminine side (Yin) of unfolded universal consciousness and the right one, the masculine (Yang) quality of life. In the middle is hexagram that represents peace. Called T´ai, it represents balance: as the masculine sky supports the feminine earth, Peace blossoms.

 

Kike married his wife Jyoti at maoMeno in 2017 surrounded by family, friends and his original neighbors, the cows.  Kike and Jyoti now divide their time between maoMeno, Bali and New Zealand.

 

maoMeno continues to evolve with the energy of hundreds of Yogi's, artists, friends and collaborators. We invite you to come and share in our unfolding story.